On Strong Winds
by dukefan01
Summary: "Let me ask you something Nanao? What happens to a strong wind surrounded by mountains? Will it cut threw the rock to create it's own vally, or is it doomed to die down to a gentale breeze agianst the cliff face before dissapearing entirly?" he asked. "Tell me this Lieutenant, how strong is this wind?" she asked back. Shuhei speaks to Nanao about the betryal. Summery sucks.


**Well, here's my new story. I have been wanting to do this one for a while and it's just a simple one shot between one of my favorite parings in bleach, Shuhei and Nanao. It takes place right after Aizen and the others revealed their betrayl to the soul society. I do not own Bleach, obviously, and all that, ect. anyway, I really hope you like it!**

Shuhei Hisagi sat at his desk looking up at the cealing. He could see Tosen raising into the sky to Hueco Mundoe. He heard Sajin's screams in the back of his mind, but even now, just like at the time, he couldn't bring himself to listen to the words. He could only look at his captain with only one thought, one emotion. Betrayl. He closed his eyes, thinking. He felt like a strong wind caught in a cirlce of mountains. He had no place to go and if he tried to escape, he could easily be destroyed. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Shuhei sat up and tried to look bussy about his desk. "Come in." he called. The door opened and Nanao Ise stepped in, clutching a book to her chest and looking at Shuhei a bit sheepishly. "Can I help you Lieutenant Ise?" he asked. She smiled.

"I wanted to check on you and see how you were doing." she said. Shuhei looked back at his desk, pulling a repot out of the pile and putting it on top.

"I'm doing fine." he said. She adjusted her glasses.

"I would have come to talk to you sooner, but knowing you you would want to hear about how the others are doing so I checked on them first." she said. He words hit Shuhei like a hard blow. Here he was, wollowing in self-pity when he wasn't the only one who had been betrayed! Tosen was Captain Komamura's best friend. Gin and Aizen were Izuru and Momo's captain's, Rangiku grew up with Gin, the captains of squads four, eight, and thirteen had been friends with the three and never noticed their betrayl. There were many more who had been hurt by this, and something told Shuhei it went a lot deeper than that. Rumers flew about them being connected to a simliar insident a hundred years ago. Eight officers being murdered, and he had heard also that Nanao, Soi Fon, Mayuri, and Akon had been close to those eight. Shuhei looked up at her and smiled.

"How are they holding up?" he asked. She smiled back.

"They'll be fine. Momo still hasn't woken up yet, but the others seem to be alright for the time being." she said. Shuhei then looked her over. She looked a little worse for wear.

"And you, how are you holding up?" he asked. She seemed startled by the question.

"I'll be fine! You know Shuhei, I remeber reading once that rivers are formed by water cutting threw the earth and rock by the force of it's flow. It creates it's own path to go and after so long it becomes a powerful river once again. I think that's what is going on with you, Izuru, and Momo. Your river has ran off course threw a flat land, but as long as you keep going, you''ll create your own river bed soon enough." she said with a softer smile. Shuhei thought for a second, then he looked at her. She seemed surprised by the hollowness in his eyes.

"Let me ask you something Nanao? What happens to a strong wind surrounded by mountains? Will it cut threw the rock to create it's own vally, or is it doomed to die down to a gentale breeze agianst the cliff face before dissapearing entirly?" he asked. Nanao looked at him. She was about to start going into a scientiic explination behind the idea when she realized that wasn't what he ment at all. She looked at his zanpakuto, then at his left cheek. She remembered those nights Captain Kensei Muguruma came over to the squad eight barricks to drink with Shunsui and Lisa. She knew all about his famous tattoo. Even though Shuhei was not a member of the squads at the time, or even mentioed Muguruma to anyone, everyone who had been around a hundred years ago knew he had some connection to the missing captain. just by the tattoo and the sleevless uniform, but now even more so by his reference to himself as wind. She even susspected that his mysterious shikai had to do with wind.

"That depends Lieutenant, how strong is this wind?" she asked. Shuehi thought for a second.

"You know, I couldn't tell you." he said. Nanao nodded and went to the door. Then she turned back.

"You know Shuhei, if they're is ever _anything _bothering you, you know you can come talk to me." she said, then she left. Shuhei looked at the space once occupid by the squad eight lieutenant, then he was lost in thought again. Maybe Tosen did betray him, but he now had an entire squad relaying on him. Izuru, Momo, Ranji, Rangiku, Nanao, they would need a strong friend right now, one who wouldn't be swollwed up by this. He could feel the first mountain crack. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Shuhei stood up. 'No more self-pity!' he thought as he reached out for the door. Then he paused. It was funny, he always said he loved Rangiku but it turned out to be Nanao that helped him the most. He would get stronger, strong enough that he could protect all of the ones he carred about, and once he would plow threw those mountains, he could use the winds of his spirit to carry his friends to a better place again.


End file.
